Vehicle light



July` 13 1926.

1,592,246 C. H. WILLS ET AL VEHICLE LIGHT Filed Nov. 6.1920

Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFlCE.

CHILDE HAROLD' WILLS, OF DARYS'VILLE, MICHGAN, AND CROMVJELL A. BHALVORSON, JR., GF LYNN, v'IASACElUSETTS.

VEHICLE LIGHT.

Application filed. November G, 1920. Serial llo.

This invention relates to a new and in'iently of the clutch and beforethe vehicle 55 proved illuminating system for niotor veitself is put inmotion rearr-ardly. hicles, and more specifically to a lamp asso- Ourrear illuminating lanip is, of course, ciated with the usual lightingcircuit, the additional to the usual rear tail light, and 6 lainp beingto furnish rearwardly directed it is preferably enclosed in a singleshell illumination. with that light. 6o

'i he usual lighting circuit tor motor vefile have illustrated apreferred einher ihicles includes a source of power, head lights nientof the invention in the accompanying and a low power tail light. in theuse or drawings in which- 10 a vehicle provided with such a circuit, noFigure l is a diagram illustrating a4 prmeans are providedillumiinitingthe ferred lightingl circuit for use for such a 65 roadwayin the rear of the vehicle. lt is lamp; and often liiOhlv desirable inbacking the ve Figure 2 is trawientai'v sectional detail c. 'y i J 1 Ihicle at nicht to have an erlective rear illuview showin@ a switcnassociated with the l5 mination, gear shift ineinb r for closing thecircuit.

lt is an ob'ect of the )resent invention to ln Figure l we have shown`our rear illu- 70 l l e provide a vehicle lighting system whichinniinating vlamp in grounded return 'wiring cludes a light adapted forilluminating efsystem. llhile such a sJ-stein is considered feet rearfardly. lt is a further object to preferable for the purpose, ourinvention provide such a lainp which is electrically is not limitedthereto. The vehicle frame is associated with the main lighting circuitdesignated the battery G having its ncga- 75 and which may beselectively connected to tive side @rounded to the frame. Its oppothecircuit. lt is also an object to provide site or positive side isconnected to the inain an auton'iatically operable switch for suchswitch 7 by the wire 8, the iiiain switch 5 a lamp, the switch beingassociated with the being preferably located on the instrument vehiclegear set and operable by the reverse hoard of the vehicle and beingmanually 80 rod of such set. lt is an additional operable. The wire 9 isled from the negaobject to .provide a lamp of this character tive poleof the switch 7 to the tail light l0. in association with `a usual taillamp of low The opposite side of the tail light is groundpower. The twolamps being preferably ened, as indicated, at ll, the frame of theclosed in a single casing. Other and further vehicle serving as thereturn. Our rear S5 Objects will appear as the descriptionproillr'lliiiiiatlig lamp l2 lS lOCateCl in the Sallie ceeds. shell withthe rear tail light l() and is con- 'lhe present invention provides anilunected to the main circuit wire 9 by the wire ininating light adaptedto be directed rearl3- The oppOSite side of the lamp l2 is wardly andelectrically associated with the connected by the wire la to the switchl5 90 main lighting circuit. As such a light oblocated upon the gearcasing 16. The nega Vougly will be Used ntgl'lnttgntly and but tlv@SlClG Of lllllS S`Wlt0ll '1S gIOllIlClQCl LLO lill@ for short periods oftime, it has not been ingear casing and thus to the vehicle frame.

40 cluded'directly in the main lighting circuit. l Figur@ 2 lll@ SWtCll15 lllS bGGIl, SliOWIl While it inay be thrown into or out of that iiidetail. A fragmentary portion of the 95 circuit by a manually operatedswitch, we gear casing l@ is shown and is provided with consid@- itpreferable t0 provide means for a tubular passage i7 therein. rllhe rearend automatically throwing the light into cirof the reverse gear rod 18extends into this @uit when the. vehicle is reversed. In thel passage 17and, as seen in the ligure has been particular embodiment shown thismeans iuoved to the right to throw the gears into 10c comprises a switchassociated with the gear reverse position. The hole 19 is drilled intoshift assembly of the vehicle and operated the gear casing 1G at rightangles to the openb the reverse Oear rod to close the switch ing l: andintersects the o ieninv. The Oear b L. 23 n when the gears are in meshin the reverse rod 1S is provided with an inclined recess or position.This particular association ot the notch 2l, into which lits the roundedlower 105 switch automatically causes the lainp to be end of the plunger22. The upper portion of lighted when the gears are shifted to reversethis plunger is enlarged to seat against the and the illumination isthus had independshoulder 23 in the switch container 20, and

its upper end is member 211.

The insulated tube 25 is seated in the opening in the switch container2O 'its lower end fitting against the shoulder 26. 'llhe wire 1aextendsdownwardly through the bushing 27, its lower end being provided with aContact 28 seated on the inner tace of the bushing. The wire isprotected by the conduit 29, the lower end or' which is retained by theinturned edge of the cap 30. The spring 31 is seated in the lowercupshaped Contact member 32, its upper end bearing` against the centact28. rEhe contacts 28 and 32 are thus electrically Connected by thespring 31. "ifith the parts in the position shown in the drawing, thecup engages a portion of the shoulder' 2G, thus grounding` the wire 14eto provided with an insulating the gear casing` and closing' the groundreturn circuit. TWhen the rod 18 is moved to the lett the plunder 22rides u n out ot its seat 7 n l u a 'n .L A

21 against the resistance or its spring 31 and the cup 32 rests upon tle insulation the contact with the shoulder 26 -is broken and hence thecircuit is opened.

le have not shown an head linhts as 'neluded in our lighting circuitsince 'they 1 n no part ot the present invention, such lights may beconnected in this circuit or may be upon independent circuit. The usuallights are thrown in by closing the circuit at the switch lie circuitthen connirises the battery 6, wire El, switch 7, wire 9, t light 10,wire 11, and `ground return through the frame 5 to the battery 6. Theswitch is normally open, and therefore, although the lamp 12 isconnected by means oi' the wire 18 to the tail light circuit, no currentflows to the lamp, when, however, the switch 15 is closed, the lamp 12is connected to the ground return through the wire 111 and the lamp istherefore illuminated.

The lamp l2 will be only occasionally used and since it is not in thenoriial field oil vision of the driver, it is particularly desirablethat switch 15 be automatically operated by the reverse gear. In thisWay, waste of current through illumination of the lamp 12 whennotnecessary or desirable is eliminatrilhe auton atie switch is alsovaluable in that it avoids the necessity for the manual operation of anadditional switch by the driver of the machine.

While we have described. more or less precisely the details ofconstruction ot' our invention, we do not wish to be understood aslimiting ourselves thereto, as we contemplate changes in form and theproportion o1 parts and substitution of equivalents as circumstances maysuggest or render expedient, wi `hout departing from the sp' 1it of ourinvention, and within the scope of the appended claims.

-We claim:

1. A switch comprising a container, a

wire, a Contact connected to the wire and locatil in and insulated fromthe container, spring pressed contact means normally grounding the wireContact to the container, and plunger extending,T from the container andurged outwardly by the spring pressed contact, pressure on the plungerserving t0 ino -e the contact against the spring presout fot groundingengagement with 'h1 contzxiner.

A. switch comprising a container of conmaterial, a wire, a contactconnected ie wire and enclosed by said container insulated therefrom,spring pressed con ng means` permanently engaging the e contact andnormally engaging the cont .ner and grounding' the wire thereto, and aplunger extending from the container and adapted to he forced into thecontainer to move the spring' pressed conducting means out or Contactwith the container.

Signed at Marysville, Michigan, this 19th ot October, 1920.

CHlLDE HAROLD WILLS.

CROMWELL A. B. HALVORSUN, Jr.

de l

